


Second Chances at Midnight

by marshybeans



Category: The O.C., The OC
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:05:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9122878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshybeans/pseuds/marshybeans
Summary: If there was ever a time for a second chance, it was at midnight on New Year's Eve.





	

 

 

**Second Chances at Midnight**

 

Ryan took a deep breath before he headed into the Cohen’s house. It was a second home to him and had been for as long as he could remember; but he had never felt this way before heading in there before. His stomach was in knots, his hands a slight shake to them and his breathing had quickened.

He was ready to bottle it, to walk away and think of some fake reason as to why he couldn’t be there but then they popped into his head and he couldn’t. No matter how out of place he felt, no matter how awkward and uncomfortable and desperate it would make him feel; Ryan couldn’t get back into his car and drive away, not whilst knowing they were in there; that they were all in there.

Barely a moment had passed when he had stepped through the door before two small arms were wrapped around his waist; he laughed instinctively as he stroked her hair. He looked up just in time to spot another young girl with two braids; she was beaming at the sight of him.

“Daddy!” She called as she ran down the hall and wrapped her arms around him just like the other girl had; the younger girl lifted her head up as she smiled at Ryan.

“I missed you, daddy. I don’t want you to go away again.” Ryan breathed deeply and closed his eyes contently as he hugged his daughters back.

“Me neither, sweethearts.” He kissed the top of their heads before taking a glance up as he laid his eyes on her, he felt his whole body freeze. Summer smiled softly as she made her way down the hallway, she giggled slightly at the sight of the two young girls wrapped around Ryan but he could tell by the way Summer had bit her lip and ran her hand through her hair that she was uncomfortable and felt out of place.

Ryan quietly detached himself from the young girls and stood up, opting instead to hold one’s hand whilst the youngest still had her arms wrapped around as much of Ryan as she could fit.

“Hi.” Ryan mumbled and awkwardly gave Summer a wave, Summer nodded in response.

“Was your flight okay?”

“Yeah, a little turbulence but nothing major.”

“What’s turbulence, daddy?” Ryan chuckled a little before leaning down and explaining it to his young daughter.

“Well, I’m glad you’re home safe.” Summer murmured just as Ryan glanced back at her, “the girls missed you.” And with that Summer left Ryan and the girls to it.

 

 

* * *

 

                                     

Ryan headed to the Cohen’s back garden as the girls had decided that they needed ice cream and a quiet space to play Barbie’s – which secretly meant annoying Toby, Seth’s oldest. He looked up into the kitchen window and laid his eyes on Summer. Christ, he had missed her. The job in Colorado had come at the perfect time but it had meant being away from his girls for far too long and away from Summer. He wondered if she missed him like he had her. He wondered if she had thought about him every night before going to sleep, did the girls still crawl into bed at all times of the night? Did she still toss and turn without him there? Did she still whisper his name in her sleep?

Because he did.

It hadn’t been working between them, they barely talked to one another anymore and when they did, it always turned to arguments and neither of them wanted to live like that anymore. They had reached breaking point when Ryan had received a short-term job offer in Colorado. It hadn’t been the first time he had received these kinds of offers and in the past, he had always refused; refusing to be so far away from Summer and the girls but for the first time; Ryan had stopped for a moment to consider it and when Summer had suggested giving it some thought – Ryan knew that this was what they both needed. He had hated it of course, missing out on being with his daughters for the last three months, they had celebrated the oldest birthday a week early but he had missed thanksgiving and Christmas and that tore him up inside. He had spent the majority of his life without a father and Ryan hated the thought of the past coming back to haunt him this way.

The three-month break, as it turned out only made Ryan miss Summer more. He missed the way she curled into him at night, how she always kissed him on the cheek before getting up in the morning whether he was asleep or awake; he missed their talks – they never just talked anymore and it had taken a while before Ryan could admit that he hadn’t even noticed that they had stopped talking. They talked about the girls and schools and work of course but never _really_ talked; conversations into the long night; they had grown complacent and tired and bored with one another.

It had taken three months of radio silence for Ryan to realise that Summer was the love of his life and he was getting close to losing her forever.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Silence. That’s what he needed; he couldn’t take anymore comic book talk or baking talk or even sports talk. Ryan needed an escape and upstairs was the only place to find it. The children had all long fallen asleep in the living room; high of extra playtime and sugar; their closest friends had all taken it in turns to preoccupy one or the other so that it never fell for Ryan or Summer to have to have a conversation with each other, all knowing about their temporary separation. The irony of it all was Ryan was desperate for silence except from the one person who was giving him exactly that.

When Ryan had headed into one of the Cohen’s spare bedrooms, he hadn’t been expecting to find Summer. She turned around to look at him and Ryan contemplated murmuring apologies, bowing his head, and closing the door on his way out. But he was never going to be able to fix things by walking away; that was something he had spent the last three months learning. Instead he stepped inside and closed the door behind him and made his way over to the window where Summer was stood, watching him silently as he did so.

The two of them turned to face the open window and watched as the snow fell, a flash of red light surprised him as he hastily glanced at his watch; someone had set of a firework twenty minutes too early. _Typical newpsies._

“Have you been watching The Shadow?” Ryan cringed as soon as the words left his mouth but the flash of red and the tense silence had lead him to ask. Summer turned her head towards him, in disbelief no doubt that of all the questions after months of nothing – that was what he asked about. Ryan looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and pursed his lips, Summer letting out a low giggle sent waves through him.

“No. I believe there are 13 unwatched episodes on the planner.” Ryan turned to look at her properly this time and Summer smiled. It had been their thing, it was an old show and was way past its prime but it had been the show that they had curled up together on the sofa to watch, week in and week out and why break the habit of a lifetime. And she had waited. Waited for him. Ryan let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t realised he had been holding.

They were both looking at each other now, ignoring the laughter and the out of tune singing from downstairs, ignoring the snow and the still-too-early fireworks being set of outside. It was now or never for Ryan, it was a chance that instead of running away that he just lay it all out on the table now. He had never been one for words and he certainly didn’t feel as though he could string along some sort of a speech. No, he would be honest in his own way, his best way.

“I missed you.” Ryan said bluntly, he watched as he waited for the features on Summer’s face to change; waiting for something to give it away – had she missed him to or was his lack of presence a relief to her? Summer had always been very good at keeping a neutral face, something in which Ryan lacked but it hadn’t taken long for his girls to pick up. He was all but ready to give up, shoulders slumped and walk away when he felt the softness of skin against the tips of his fingers. Summer slowly but surely grasped her hand in Ryan’s own, she took a step forward and leant her head against his chest for a split second before glancing back at him. Ryan watched in earnest.

“I missed you too.” Ryan felt as though his chest may explode in euphoria as he heard the words that had been hanging in the air since the day that he left. “I don’t want you to go away again.” Ryan wrapped his hands in Summer’s hair as he pulled her closer.

“Oh baby, I’m not going anywhere again.” And with that the pair of them collided and kissed one another. Ryan could faintly hear louder cheers and laughter downstairs as the cries of _‘happy new year’_ rang out and the sound of explosions lay just next to them outside. Now, it was time for the fireworks.

**Author's Note:**

> Not completely convinced that I like this but I wanted to write something R/S before the year was out and since I didn't get around the the Christmas fic, this will have to do! :)


End file.
